WhatsApp Will Delete Your Account If You Don’t Accept Its New Privacy Policy

BY Rajesh Pandey

Published 21 Feb 2021

WhatsApp Privacy Policy Explained

WhatsApp faced a lot of criticism for its new privacy policy which forced it to delay its rollout by May 15. The company recently also announced that it will be showing in-app banners to users to make them better understand the changes to its privacy policy. However, the company’s privacy policy was not really clear on what will happen if users did not accept the changes.

An email obtained by TechCrunch reveals that WhatsApp will “slowly ask” users who do not comply with its new privacy policy so that they have full functionality of the app starting May 15.

If they still do not accept the terms, WhatsApp will only allow these users to receive calls and notifications “for a short time” i.e. for a few weeks but not send messages or make calls. Such accounts will be characterized as inactive by WhatsApp which the company tends to delete after 120 days of inactivity.

Read: What’s the Issue With WhatsApp’s New Privacy Policy?

What this means is that if you as a WhatsApp user do not accept the company’s new privacy policy by May 15, your account’s functionality will be limited. 120 days after that, the company will delete your account if you still do not accept the new privacy policy.

Despite criticism after it announced its new privacy policy at the beginning of this year, WhatsApp is going to go ahead and implement it albeit after a delay of three months. The company has clarified that it will not be able to read user messages or data and that it does not intend to share any data with Facebook. It only tends to charge businesses who use WhatsApp for reaching customers and to show some information from Facebook inside WhatsApp to offer a better shopping experience.

[Via TechCrunch]